Why West Linn Beavers?

The beautiful Willamette and Tualatin Rivers create natural borders for West Linn, and the Clackamas spills into the Willamette nearby. These river habitats provide fantastic communities of flora and fauna that rely on waterways for refuge, travel, food, and drinking water. West Linn is perfectly situated to be at the center of it!

The Willamette River extends along the entire eastern border of West Linn. The Tualatin river wraps around the southern border, and the Clackamas pours into the Willamette directly across from West Linn.

Beavers are native to this area and benefit these waterways more than any other species. By building dams, beavers slow water flow into major rivers which helps to regulate flooding, attract wading birds like heron, and provide refuge to migratory fish. Woody inputs to streams increases insect biodiversity (aquatic bugs are referred to as macroinvertebrates) which are a major food source for a variety of salmon and bird species. Larger mammals including fishers, deer, coyotes, river otters, and foxes rely on sustenance provided by beaver pond habitat.

Dams create major changes to the hydrology and geology of our waterways. Sediment moving down stream becomes captured in beaver ponds and results in better water quality as streams trickle through, around, or over beaver dams. Increased surface water can be used for our purposes to water lawns, farms, gardens, or for livestock on the outskirts of West Linn. Slowed streams mean more groundwater storage as well for those really dry months.

This beaver dam (top center), on a tributary of the Tualatin, created a moderately sized pond in the middle of an urban area. An adjacent homeowner did not report any flooding problems, but did mention the increased wildlife in the area.

West Linn is in the perfect location to reap the benefits beaver provide while avoiding negative consequences. The major elevation changes in West Linn prevent the city’s beaver population from ever getting too big, and sharp gradients restrict where beavers can build dams. However, the streams West Linn does have a perfect for beaver occupation – many streams are incised and away from major infrastructure. In areas where conflicts arise between beaver activity and people there are easy and inexpensive methods for controlling beavers.

Beaver Solutions is an east coast company leading the way in designing and installing cheap and effective structures to manage beavers in urban settings. This growing industry assists homeowners on an individual basis to address solutions specific to each situation.

West Linn beavers are making this town a better place for people and for the natural space and splendor our residents enjoy! Beaver Ambassadors are here to promote the beavers in West Linn so that everyone knows why beavers are so great in our ecosystem, and what residents can do to manage beaver activity on their property. Oregon is known world-wide for green space, nature, and trees, and West Linn is right in the center of some of the greatest and most fertile land in the region. Help celebrate our natural settings by preserving a native animal essential to our ecosystem and becoming a beaver ambassador!

Social

The Most Informative Beaver Organization

Worth a Dam – one of the greatest beaver support organizations in the world is right here on the west coast! Our thanks to Martinez Beavers for highlighting the importance of beaver ecology.

West Linn Parks & Recreation

West Linn has one of the greatest parks & rec departments in the region and we’re always working to provide awesome events, classes, and camps for all age groups. Check our monthly calendar for current happenings.

Leaving it to beavers

The recent documentary Leave it to Beavers did an excellent job of explaining through media the amazing benefits beavers have to the ecosystem. We recommend this short video for your next movie night!